A look at Mount Union's next opponent: Frostburg State

Monday

Frostburg State’s path to the quarterfinals has taken a bit of historical road considering they’ve already knocked out the second and third winningest programs in Division III.

A win on Saturday would not only complete the trifecta, it would also put the Bobcats in the semifinals for the first time ever.

But there’s a difference in beating teams on Division III’s Mount Rushmore — in terms of most program wins — and beating Mount Union, which stands alone in wins, playoff wins and national titles.

Frostburg State went on the road to beat Wittenberg 35-7 and Washington & Jefferson 46-23, respectively, the last two weeks and have won 11 straight games away from Bobcat Stadium. The Bobcats handed Wittenberg its first home loss since 2014 and ended W&J’s 30-game home winning streak that dated back to 2012.

Mount Union has won 114 of its last 115 home games and 46 straight playoff games at Mount Union Stadium.

The Bobcats (11-1) have made history with each win. They’ve won 11 games in a season for the first time and have multiple wins in the same playoffs for the first time in the program’s 57-year history.

Meanwhile, Mount Union has won at least two games in 23 consecutive playoff trips and are in the quarterfinals for the 26th straight year. The only time since 1992 the Purple Raiders failed to win multiple games was in 1994 when they lost 34-33 to Albion (Michigan) in the quarterfinals.

Frostburg State, located in Frostburg, Maryland, is part of the New Jersey Athletic Conference and finished second to Wesley. The Wolverines won the head-to-head matchup 27-24 in overtime in September. The Bobcats are the second consecutive at-large team to face the Purple Raiders.

This will be the third new opponent for Mount Union in the playoffs. The last time this happened was 2010 with St. Lawrence, Delaware Valley and Alfred all coming to Alliance. The last team to beat the Purple Raiders in the playoffs during their initial meeting was Mary Hardin-Baylor in 2004.

"We’re one week at a time and focused on getting ready for Frostburg State now," said Mount Union head coach Vince Kehres following the win against Case Western Reserve.

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